Just when I thought I couldn't love Gillian Anderson's acting anymore, she wows me in "The House of Mirth." She gave such a riveting and powerful performance as the unfortunate character of Lily Bart that I was just so amazed. I was prepared to see hints of Scully in her portrayal but there was none. Sorry David, but still see some Mulder in your roles so that doesn't say much about your versatility as an actor.

But getting back to the movie and its plot.. "House of Mirth" is based on the novel by Edith Wharton and takes place in the early 1900s in high society New York. It tells of the unfortunate tragedy of a woman who falls from grace because of the circumstances of her situation which is basically a 30 year old woman, not yet married, living in the rich society. Her problems are that she can't bear herself to marry someone she doens't like but she doesn't have any skills to strike out on her own. Her only skills are to marry and sit pretty and lose at bridge of course. Her soulmate Selden, is unfortunately in a class lower than her. They love each other but won't admit it to each other until its too late.

She ends up being tangled into other people's affairs which compromises her repuatation so that she is now unmarrigable to anyone and she is mislead by her naivity into thinking that someone would do her a favor without wanting "favors" from her in return.

She ends up disinherited by her aunt who dies and leaves her hardly anything, which she owes anyway. The one thing she can do to pull herself back to society's good graces she can not bear to do cause it will hurt Selden in the process. She tries to work for a living but with lacking skills that doesn't pan out. She ends up starting to take a sleeping potion cause she cannot sleep. Fately one night, she ends up overdosing, just as it looks Selden will try to take her away from her misery.

Very Very Sad! I was bawling at the end. Defintely a must see movie if you love this book or love Gillian of course!


Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older